Artemisia cina 30 CH homeopathic treatment against Haemonchus contortus

The anthelmintic resistance problem is widely recognized in sheep production. Therefore, new methods of control against gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) need to be integrated. The aim of this work was to assess the toxicity of A. cina 30 CH as a homeopathic product against Haemonchus contortus in in vitro and in vivo assays. A. cina 30 CH was obtained from a commercial laboratory, and confirmation of artemisinin as a key ingredient was performed with mass spectrophotometry. The A. cina 30 CH and the artemisinin pure reagent were used for the inhibition of egg hatching (IEH) and for the inhibition of larval migration of H. contortus L3 (ILM). In addition, three groups of 10 naturally infected lambs with GIN were treated with A. cina 30 CH and albendazole, and 10 were used as control. The parasitic infection was monitored at 0, 7, 14 and 28 d postreatment (PT) to determine the number of eggs per gram  (epg) and  FAMACHA index.  The in vitro data  showed 100 %  IEH and 64.7 % ILM by A. cina 30 CH, and nonlethal activity was observed with the artemisinin pure reagent. The toxicity of A. cina 30 CH against H. contortus in infected lambs was observed after 7 d of infection. Administration of the A. cina 30 CH yielded a 69 % reduction in the epg at 28 d PT, similar to the albendazole (P<0.05). In conclusion, A. cina 30 CH had the ability to IEH and ILM of H. contortus in in vitro assays and reduced the number of eggs of H. contortus, which is the primary parasitic nematode in grazing lambs, thereby reducing infection.The anthelmintic resistance problem is widely recognized in sheep production. Therefore, new methods of control against gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) need to be integrated. The aim of this work was to assess the toxicity of A. cina 30 CH as a homeopathic product against Haemonchus contortus in in vitro and in vivo assays. A. cina 30 CH was obtained from a commercial laboratory, and confirmation of artemisinin as a key ingredient was performed with mass spectrophotometry. The A. cina 30 CH and the artemisinin pure reagent were used for the inhibition of egg hatching (IEH) and for the inhibition of larval migration of H. contortus L3 (ILM). In addition, three groups of 10 naturally infected lambs with GIN were treated with A. cina 30 CH and albendazole, and 10 were used as control. The parasitic infection was monitored at 0, 7, 14 and 28 d postreatment (PT) to determine the number of eggs per gram  (epg) and  FAMACHA index.  The in vitro data  showed 100 %  IEH and 64.7 % ILM by A. cina 30 CH, and nonlethal activity was observed with the artemisinin pure reagent. The toxicity of A. cina 30 CH against H. contortus in infected lambs was observed after 7 d of infection. Administration of the A. cina 30 CH yielded a 69 % reduction in the epg at 28 d PT, similar to the albendazole (P<0.05). In conclusion, A. cina 30 CH had the ability to IEH and ILM of H. contortus in in vitro assays and reduced the number of eggs of H. contortus, which is the primary parasitic nematode in grazing lambs, thereby reducing infection

Evaluación de un método combinado de control de la hemoncosis ovina en condiciones controladas

The aim of this research was to evaluate the efficacy of a combined method of parasitic control, with albendazol and Duddingtonia flagrans chlamydospores in Haemonchus contortus artificially infected sheep. Fourty H. contortus infected sheep, were used. This experiment was carried out in a 90 d period. Sheep were ramdomly divided into four groups of 10 animals each and received the following treatments: Group 1, albendazol at 7.5 mg/kg at d 0, 30 and 60, Group 2, received an oral treatment with 1x106 D. flagrans chlamydospores per kilogram, Group 3 received a combined treatment: albendazol was orally administered twice, at d 1 and 60 at the previously mentioned dose, and was also orally treated with D. flagrans chlamydospores everyday from d 30 to d 60 at the same dose than group 2, Group 4 (control group). Faecal samples were directly taken from rectum of sheep everyday during 90 days and the number of eggs per grams of feces (EPG) and the recovery and quantification of H. contortus larvae from coprocultures, were carried out. An ANOVA for a repeated measurements model was used (PSe evaluó un método antiparasitario combinado, mediante el uso de albendazol y del hongo Duddingtonia flagrans, en ovinos infectados con Haemonchus contortus. El experimento duró 90 días. Se formaron cuatro grupos de 10 corderos cada uno, infectados con H. contortus y recibieron los siguientes tratamientos: Grupo 1, albendazol (7.5 mg/kg), a los días 0, 30 y 60 del experimento, Grupo 2, recibió 1x106 clamidosporas de D. flagrans por kg, por vía oral, Grupo 3, recibió la combinación de ambos tratamientos y que consistió en dos aplicaciones de albendazol, al día 1 y al día 60, y la administración oral de clamidosporas de D. flagrans diariamente del día 30 al 60, con las mismas dosis que los grupos 1 y 2, El Grupo 4, actuó como grupo testigo, sin tratamiento. Durante el experimento, se tomaron muestras de heces semanalmente para estimar el número de huevos por gramo de heces (HPG) y para la recuperación y cuantificación de larvas (L3) por coprocultivos. El Análisis ANOVA para un modelo de mediciones repetidas, utilizando al promedio del número de larvas en coprocultivos como la variable dependiente, reveló que el albendazol tuvo una alta eficacia antihelmíntica en contra de H. contortus del 91 %, (

Estudio de asociación genómica para resistencia a Cooperia punctata en bovinos cruzados en el trópico subhúmedo de México

This study is an evaluation of resistance to natural infection by Cooperia spp. in Zebu x Holstein crossbreed calves in the tropics. Fourteen four-month-old calves were dewormed and moved to pastures naturally infested with gastrointestinal nematodes under sub-humid tropical conditions. Fecal samples were collected from each animal every seven days for three months to quantify the number of eggs per gram of feces (EPG), and nematode species identified with end-point PCR. Hair samples were collected for genotyping using the GeneSeek Genomic Profiler HD-V3 panel, which contains 139,376 SNP markers. Variation in EPG per individual ranged from a minimum of 7+7 to a maximum of 4,657+1,886 EPG. The PCR identified breed differences between the Zebu x Holstein crossbreeds. Genome-wide association studies detected five statistically significant haplotypes (P<0.001). The haplotype in chromosome 2 includes four markers, that in chromosome 10 includes three, that in chromosome 15 includes two, that in chromosome 23 includes four and chromosome X includes three. Of these regions only chromosome 23 was found to be associated with parasite resistance, measured as EPG phenotypes. The remaining chromosomes exhibited no association in the studied animals. These regions could be sequenced and tested for gene expression against Cooperia and other gastrointestinal nematodes.El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar la resistencia a la infección natural por Cooperia spp. en bovinos jóvenes cruzados Cebú x Holstein, en trópico. Catorce (14) becerros de cuatro meses de edad fueron tratados con desparasitante y trasladados a potreros naturalmente contaminados con nematodos gastrointestinales bajo condiciones de trópico sub-húmedo. Muestras de heces se colectaron cada siete días durante tres meses por individuo, para cuantificar el número de huevos por gramo de heces (HPG) e identificar el género por PCR de punto final. Se colectaron muestras de pelo para llevar a cabo estudios de asociación genómica utilizando la plataforma GeneSeek Genomic Profiler HD-V3 que contiene139,376 marcadores SNP. Los resultados obtenidos indican variación en el número de HPG por individuo (mínimo 7+7 y máximo 4657+1886 HPG). En los análisis de componentes principales se identificaron diferencias raciales entre los animales con genes de las razas Cebú y Holstein. Los estudios de asociación del genoma completo detectaron 5 haplotipos estadísticamente significativos (P<0.001). El haplotipo del cromosoma 2 incluye cuatro marcadores, el 10 incluye a tres, el 15 incluye a dos, el 23 cuatro y el del cromosoma X incluye tres. De estas regiones sólo el cromosoma 23 se encontró asociado a resistencia por parásitos, medidos como fenotipo de HPG; los cromosomas restantes identificados no mostraron asociación en ninguno de los individuos en estudio. Se considera que estas regiones podrían ser secuenciadas y probar la expresión de genes para la resistencia contra este nematodo y de otros nematodos del complejo gastrointestinal

X chromosome inactivation does not necessarily determine the severity of the phenotype in Rett syndrome patients

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a severe neurological disorder usually caused by mutations in the MECP2 gene. Since the MECP2 gene is located on the X chromosome, X chromosome inactivation (XCI) could play a role in the wide range of phenotypic variation of RTT patients; however, classical methylation-based protocols to evaluate XCI could not determine whether the preferentially inactivated X chromosome carried the mutant or the wild-type allele. Therefore, we developed an allele-specific methylation-based assay to evaluate methylation at the loci of several recurrent MECP2 mutations. We analyzed the XCI patterns in the blood of 174 RTT patients, but we did not find a clear correlation between XCI and the clinical presentation. We also compared XCI in blood and brain cortex samples of two patients and found differences between XCI patterns in these tissues. However, RTT mainly being a neurological disease complicates the establishment of a correlation between the XCI in blood and the clinical presentation of the patients. Furthermore, we analyzed MECP2 transcript levels and found differences from the expected levels according to XCI. Many factors other than XCI could affect the RTT phenotype, which in combination could influence the clinical presentation of RTT patients to a greater extent than slight variations in the XCI pattern

Evaluation of a quality improvement intervention to reduce anastomotic leak following right colectomy (EAGLE): pragmatic, batched stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized trial in 64 countries

Background Anastomotic leak affects 8 per cent of patients after right colectomy with a 10-fold increased risk of postoperative death. The EAGLE study aimed to develop and test whether an international, standardized quality improvement intervention could reduce anastomotic leaks. Methods The internationally intended protocol, iteratively co-developed by a multistage Delphi process, comprised an online educational module introducing risk stratification, an intraoperative checklist, and harmonized surgical techniques. Clusters (hospital teams) were randomized to one of three arms with varied sequences of intervention/data collection by a derived stepped-wedge batch design (at least 18 hospital teams per batch). Patients were blinded to the study allocation. Low- and middle-income country enrolment was encouraged. The primary outcome (assessed by intention to treat) was anastomotic leak rate, and subgroup analyses by module completion (at least 80 per cent of surgeons, high engagement; less than 50 per cent, low engagement) were preplanned. Results A total 355 hospital teams registered, with 332 from 64 countries (39.2 per cent low and middle income) included in the final analysis. The online modules were completed by half of the surgeons (2143 of 4411). The primary analysis included 3039 of the 3268 patients recruited (206 patients had no anastomosis and 23 were lost to follow-up), with anastomotic leaks arising before and after the intervention in 10.1 and 9.6 per cent respectively (adjusted OR 0.87, 95 per cent c.i. 0.59 to 1.30; P = 0.498). The proportion of surgeons completing the educational modules was an influence: the leak rate decreased from 12.2 per cent (61 of 500) before intervention to 5.1 per cent (24 of 473) after intervention in high-engagement centres (adjusted OR 0.36, 0.20 to 0.64; P &lt; 0.001), but this was not observed in low-engagement hospitals (8.3 per cent (59 of 714) and 13.8 per cent (61 of 443) respectively; adjusted OR 2.09, 1.31 to 3.31). Conclusion Completion of globally available digital training by engaged teams can alter anastomotic leak rates. Registration number: NCT04270721 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov)